A diabetic dinner menu should provide the nutrients you need for energy and healthy heart and kidney function without excessive calories or carbohydrates. If you plan your dinner menu around low-fat, low-sodium foods and eat moderate portions of nutrient-dense complex carbohydrates, you can control your blood sugar and your weight without a lot of complicated calculations, says the American Diabetes Association.
Meal Planning
The ADA has developed a simple plan for balancing carbohydrates and proteins in your dinner menu. Divide your plate in half, then divide one half into two equal portions. Fill the largest part of your plate with a serving of non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, kale or a leafy green salad. On the second part of your plate, add a starchy complex carbohydrate, such as whole-grain pasta, brown rice, dried beans, peas or corn. A lean meat or meat substitute such as skinless chicken or turkey, tofu, eggs, low-fat beef or fish should fill the final section of your plate. Top off your dinner with a piece of fruit and a glass of nonfat or low-fat milk, a small cup of yogurt or a roll.
Counting Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are your body's source of fuel, but eating excessive quantities could cause weight gain and elevate your blood sugar, two major risk factors for developing Type 2 diabetes. The ADA recommends that you have 45 to 60g of carbohydrates at each meal, depending on your health care provider's recommendations. If you're counting carbohydrates, check the nutrition facts labels on bread, rice or pasta to see how many total carbohydrates one serving of that food provides. Nutritious starchy carbohydrates include whole-grain bread, corn or flour tortillas, lentil or bean soup, lima beans, black-eyed peas, potatoes or squash. These energizing foods give you essential vitamins, minerals and fiber without causing a rapid increase in your blood sugar.
Foods to Limit or Avoid
Although you can eat controlled portions of any food on a diabetic diet, eating too much of some foods may result in diabetes complications, such as heart or kidney disease, says MayoClinic.com. Foods that are high in cholesterol or saturated fat -- a form of fat found in animal products such as meat, eggs and full-fat dairy foods -- can compromise your cardiovascular health and increase your risk of heart attack or stroke. The trans fats in margarine, some cookies or crackers and many fried or breaded foods can contribute to hardened arteries. Eating too many high-sodium foods, such as fast foods or processed foods, may lead to high blood pressure.
Suggestions
Sample diabetic dinner menus might feature sauteed greens with grilled chicken tacos on corn tortillas, steamed broccoli and brown rice with salmon in low-sodium ginger sauce, or whole-grain spaghetti with marinara sauce and a large green salad. Use cooking methods such as grilling, searing, steaming or broiling to preserve nutrients and avoid extra fat. Limit dietary fat to unsaturated vegetable oils, such as canola or olive oil, nuts, avocados or other heart-healthy fats, advises MayoClinic.com.
Considerations
The National Kidney Foundation recommends that people with diabetes eat fish for dinner at least twice a week to lower their risk of heart and kidney disease. The foundation reports that the nutrients in fish stabilize blood sugar and result in improved lipid profiles.
